Napier family evacuates from rural India

Ana Wilkinson-Gee evacuating from rural India.

In a dramatic turn of events, Napier's Ana Wilkinson-Gee, her husband Daniel and their
two children, who have been living in rural India for 10 years, were surprised to receive
word of an Australian evacuation flight leaving Kolkata today.

The Australian and New Zealand high commissions in Delhi have joined forces to facilitate the evacuation for the Napier family stranded during lockdown.

Vehicles were sent to collect the family, including Daniel's sister Miriam.

Safe distancing meant two cars were needed to accommodate the group.

Ana says this is a birthday she will not forget in a hurry.

"How cool is it to have the Aussies and New Zealanders working together on Anzac day to
make sure no one gets left behind in rural India?"

Ana describes the news as bitter-sweet, having to call and say goodbye to all the women she teaches in her sewing programme.

"We also have to pack up the house because we don't know when we'll be returning."

Previous repatriation attempts from their village back to New Zealand had failed due to their location, before the family applied for a flight home via Australia.

"This is my birthday miracle," Ana says.

The government-directed vehicles arranged to pick the family up at 5am for the road trip which would connect them with the flight towards home. The family is armed with government-issued documents to prove they have permission to travel during lockdown.

"We must show these at the state border control - 10 hours into the journey - where we also have to change vehicles. Here's hoping for success so we can indeed continue on to Kolkata and catch the flight, instead of being turned away and having to drive 10 hours home again."

The flight with Qatar Air from Kolkata to Doha, Doha to Sydney, then Sydney to Auckland, arrives at 5pm on Thursday, April 30.

"In the spirit of positivity and celebrating achievements, we have successfully executed our first roadside shrubbery pit stop," Ana said part way through their long-awaited journey home.